Top



y 21, 1953 E. w. FRANGOS 2,645,881

TOP

Filed March 8, 1949 2 s s 1 Inventor Everett, ufFl-anyos y 1953 E. w. FRANGOS 2,645,881

TOP

Filed March 8. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F6910. Inventor Everett w Frcmgos Patented July 21, 1953 Everett W. Frangos, Lynn, Mass.

Application March 8, 1949, Serial No. 80,120

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to spinning tops and it aims to devise an article of this character which can be operated in a variety of ways to afford the user amusement and entertainment.

The nature of the invention will be readily I understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a top embodying my invention; 1-

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the top;

Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the top positioned to spin on a stand;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the top mounted in spinning position on a different form of stand;

Fig. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing an accessory for use in operating the top;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view showing a different form of hook for use with the top;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing the method of using two of the attachments illustrated in Fig. 6 in operating the top;

Fig. 9 shows a method of operating the top as a bandalore;

Fig. 10 is an elevation illustrating a button and hook accessory for operating the top;

Fig. 11 is a section through the body of the button illustrated in Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a modified form of the top.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the construction there shown comprises two hemispherical bodies or shells indicated at l--l, each provided with a tubular axial portion 2 which is pressed on to an axial shaft 3. Preferably each of the concave portions of the bodies or shells is closed by a disk 4 provided with a thickened and weighted edge or rim 5, the parts of each shell being press-fitted together. with, or fast to, the shaft 3 holds the two shells spaced apart.

It should be observed that the ends of the shaft are provided with rounded ball-like knobs l and 8 which are connected with the body portion of the shaft by necks of reduced dimensions. These parts are made smooth and are highly polished. Also, each of the knobs is provided with a hole 9 extending transversely therethrough and the knob 8 is provided both with a blind hole In drilled axially in to it and also with a tapered socket I I.

A collar 6 integral The construction above described is intended to be produced in metal, plastics, or the like, although the body portions can be made of solid material. The hollow constructions, however,

are preferred.

The device as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 can be used, without further accessories other than a string l2, as a bandalore, as shown in Fig. 9. Or, it may be supported at one end on a pin l3 projecting upwardly in a socket formed in the upper end ofa stand M, as shown in Fig. 4, and

spun by the cord or string [2, as shown in said figure. It can also be mounted in a wire stand of simple form, as illustrated at [5 in Fig. 5, this stand having two hooks [6-16 to support the knobs I and 8 of the top so that it can be spun in this position by holdingthe stand with one hand and pulling the string or cord I2 with the other.

Additional operations of the top may be produced by usingtwoof the accessory units illusin Fig. 6. The unit there shown comprises a cradle hook l1 consisting of a U-shaped wire bent to produce two approximately parallel lengths having two hooks at their free ends for engaging a knob l; or 8 in a swivel grasp therebetween, the spacing of the hooks being less than the diameter of either knob. A cord l8, which preferably is used in a doubled length, is connected with a hand piece 20- of some form, such as a sphere or ball, the connection being made through a swivel joint 2!. By holding these two balls and rolling the top body I on something to rotate it, a considerable degree of twist can be put into the cords.l8--l8. Then if the hand pieces 20-20 are pulled tightly apart, the twist in the cords will be transmitted to the top through the hooks |1-- I1, thus causing the top to rotate. When it has acquired some degree of momentum, the hand pieces 20-20 are eased toward each other, whereupon as the top continues to revolve under the momentum previously acquired, it twists-the cords in the opposite direction. By again pulling the hand pieces 20-20 away from each other after the top has lost most of its speed, it will again be revolved and at a'greater speed than that initially imparted to it. If these operations are repeated in suitable time to the rotative motions of'the top, its speed can be built up to vary high values. At such a time one of the cradle hooks can be released simply by removing the strain on it and the top will continue to revolve while supported solely by the other hook. It tends to maintain its own plane of rotation and it will continue to spin when suspended by the cord in a position at right angles be used with one of the devices shown in Fig. 6 g 4' in much the same manner as illustrated in Fig. 8. In such case the hook ll can be released from its knob after the top has gained the desired momentum, and if desired it can be reengaged with the knob while the top is rotating and suspended in mid-air by the hook 22.

The unit shown in Fig. 6 and its novel combination with either knob l or 8 is an important feature of my invention. It will be noted that, whereas the single hook 22 positively engages its knob and must necessarily rotate with the top, the hook I 1 provides a socket in which the knob can freely rotate. This socket together with the swivel connection 2| to the hand piece permits continued free rotation of the top within the hooks I! (Fig. 8) after the cords l8 have become twisted to a maximum degree. Also this feature permits the performing of numerous additional tricks by permitting the re-engaging of either hook H with its knob while the top is in rotation.

Also, if holes, such as those shown at 23 in Fig. 3 are punched through the margin of one or both shells, the top will produce one or more musical notes as it spins, the number and the pitch of the notes depending upon the speed of the top, the size and number of the holes, and the acoustic properties of the shells themselves.

A somewhat different arrangement for spinning the top is illustrated in Fig. 10, in which the hook 22 is connected by a doubled cord 18 to the ball or hand piece 20, but these two strands are threaded through a button 24 provided with a rounded lower end, as best shown in Fig. 11, the button having two holes 2525 to receive the cords. Preferably the top is supported as shown in Fig. 10; it is rotated by hand until a substantial degree of twist is imparted to the cord; and then, while holding the cord suspended, the button 24 is pushed downwardly against the twisted part of the cord, thus crowding the twist toward one end and compelling it to unwind, while at the same time rotating the top. As it gathers momentum and the twist in the cord becomes approximately exhausted, the button 24 is pushed up to a point near the supporting knob or hand piece 20 so that the momentum already acquired by the top twists the cord in the opposite direction. The operations above described are then repeated; the button being pushed down and sub- 4 reducing the strain on the cord until the hook drops out of the hole in the knob 8.

Fig. 12 shows a top essentially like that illustrated in Fig. 1, except that only one of the shells or body elements i is employed, but it is mounted on the shaft 3 in the manner above described. It can, therefore, be used as a simpler form of top in many of the ways above set forth but not, of course, as a bandalore.

While I have herein shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in a considerable variety of other forms without desequently up again in a suitable time relationship to the action of the top until the desired speed of rotation of the top has been attained. Then the top can be transferred, while revolving, to the pin l3, Fig. 4, or balanced on a pencil point, or spun on a table top, or handled in any other desired manner, and the hook can be released by parting from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

l. A top comprising in combination, a body of circular outline and having a shaft projecting axially outward therefrom at one face of the body, a ball-like knob on the free end of the shaft and connected thereto by a reduced neck, and a cord having a hook-like cradle on one end including two hooks spaced apart to receive the reduced neck therebetween and provide a supporting socket for the knob, the knob being of greater diameter than the spacing of the hooks.

2. The top combination defined in claim 1 plus a hand hold member swiveled to the other end of the cord.

3. lhe top combination defined in claim 1 in which said shaft also projects axially from the other face of the body, and a second cord having a hook-like element on one end for engaging the free end of the shaft at said other face of the body.

4. A banclalore top comprising a shaft having two cylindrical portions extending outwardly from a mid-section of relatively greater diameter, two relatively independent hemispherical bodies mounted coaxially in frictional engagement on said cylindrical portions with the plane faces of the bodies facing each other and in spaced relation at opposite faces of said mid-section, and terminals on the free ends of the shaft outwardly of the bodies for receiving supporting members for the top.

EVERE'I'I' W. FRANGOS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 195,365 Henninger Sept. 18, 1877 425,368 Cole Apr. 8, 1890 788,041 Fultz Apr. 25, 1905 1,077,340 Graham Nov. 4, 1913 1,686,890 Wood Oct. 9, 1928 1,760,622 Aronson May 27, 1930 1,806,485 Mirafuentes May 19, 1931 1,902,154 Beerbower Mar. 21, 1933 2,015,649 Amell Oct. 1, 1935 2,039,819 Marx May 5, 1936 2,305,019 Mader Dec. 15, 1942 2,337,334 Lohr Dec. 21, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 610,983 Germany Mar. 20, 1935 

